Let's Talk About SECS! | Lucy McLeod

We live in a world that references sex endlessly. Whether we're watching a television show, reading the newspaper, or clicking around the internet, we're endlessly exposed to sexually charged imagery. Now in her mid-twenties, Lucy McLeod is especially aware of the prevalence of sexual imagery that surrounds us and she's also aware of how rarely our young people are getting realistic, informative and helpful sexual education. She believes that it's about time we changed that.

A little bit about her and why she'll give a terrific TEDx talk: Lucy grew up and was educated in Mid-Kent but is now very happily settled in West Kent where she works in marketing and communications. She enjoys long walks through the countryside and tea– lots and lots of tea. She's excited to be speaking at TEDxRoyalTunbridgeWellsWomen about a topic that is very important to her: the need for more substantive sex and relationship education in secondary schools. From her own experience, and that of a few brilliant teacher friends, she's found the current curriculum to be lacking in substantive informative sex and relationship education. She wants to highlight the importance of S&RE education in our sexually liberated modern world which is full of unrealistic ideals and influences.

Here's what Lucy wants you to take away from her talk: A better knowledge of the current issues surrounding sex and relationship therapy, how young people are responding to one of the few things providing them a semblance of "sex education" (porn), and new and emerging battles we have to face (revenge porn, sexting, the immersive nature of sex in media). She also wants to encourage parents, teachers, and people in positions of trust to push past the awkwardness of "the chat" and know that they are so so important for providing an education about sex, relationships, trust, consent, etc. so that young adults can go on to trust themselves to know when they're unsafe, to recognise dangerous behaviour patterns, and to respect people in their relationships.